REVIEW: ‘Ironheart' — compelling hero let down by shoddy storytelling
For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle
So while genius inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) was introduced during the ocean-spanning events of 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,' we really get to know her and her Iron Man-esque suit in 'Ironheart,' which sees her return home to Chicago. Without the backing of the Wakandans, or the money of someone like Tony Stark, Riri falls in with a slightly more nefarious crowd in order to make money and keep her suit running. Soon enough she's pulling off jobs for the shady Hood (Anthony Ramos) and his gang, all while dealing with her overprotective mother, trying to find a way to use her inventions for good, and processing the grief of losing her best friend Natalie in a drive-by shooting.
It's quite a bleak story arc for a Marvel hero — Riri makes some questionable choices and some surprisingly selfish ones too. This could have been mined a little more, perhaps, were 'Ironheart' not more concerned with racing through the story at breakneck speed. The six-episode run means there's not much time for character development — a crying shame when there are hints of some fascinating backstories. It also means, sadly, that not much time or money was given to effects. Some of the CGI is shonky in the extreme, while the armor suit Riri has so lovingly crafted is often relegated to little more than a means by which to arrive. Thorne makes for a charismatic lead, and the supporting cast is great (Alden Ehrenreich's black market tech dealer Joe especially). The plot, however, feels heavy and cumbersome: shoehorned exposition and one-note villains.
The great stuff here is the little stuff. Riri and Natalie's relationship, a few snatched glimpses of their life in Chicago, Joe's backstory — all of these deserve more airtime. Without that attention to detail, 'Ironheart' feels flimsy. Fun, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: ‘State of Ridicule'
Author: Dan Sperrin Satire is a funny, aggressive, and largely oppositional literature which is typically created by people who refuse to participate in a given regime's perception of itself. Although satire has always been a primary literature of state affairs, and although it has always been used to intervene in ongoing discussions about political theory and practice, there has been no attempt to examine this fascinating and unusual literature across the full chronological horizon. In 'State of Ridicule,' Dan Sperrin provides the first ever longue durée history of political satire in British literature. He traces satire's many extended and discontinuous trajectories through time while also chronicling some of the most inflamed and challenging political contexts within which it has been written. Sperrin begins by describing the Roman foundations and substructures of British satire, paying particularly close attention to the core Roman canon: Horace, Persius, and Juvenal.
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
BBC asks senior music team to ‘step back' from daily duties after Glastonbury row
LONDON: The BBC has asked senior staff overseeing music and events to step back from their duties amid a backlash over anti-Israel chants during Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set, the broadcaster reported. In a statement issued on Thursday, the BBC said that it would no longer live-broadcast musical performances deemed 'high risk,' calling the editorial team's decision not to cut the livestream 'an error.' During his act, the punk duo's frontman, Bobby Vylan, chanted 'Death, death to the IDF.' The BBC said that the band's act was among the seven acts 'deemed high risk' in advance and 'suitable for live streaming with appropriate mitigations.' 'The team prioritized stopping the performance from featuring on-demand. This meant that no downloads of Bob Vylan's set were available on iPlayer or Sounds,' the BBC said. 'However, the live feed, which was showing subsequent performances from other acts on the same Glastonbury stage, remained up until it was amended shortly after 8pm while teams worked on a technical solution.' The broadcaster vowed to take action against 'those found to be responsible for those failings in the live broadcast,' reiterating that there is 'no place for antisemitism.' British police said earlier this week that a criminal investigation was launched into the remarks at the festival in southwestern England. The remarks drew controversy, with pro-Palestinian groups criticizing what they saw as selective outrage, highlighting the scrutiny over Bob Vylan's chants against the IDF while atrocities in Gaza went largely unaddressed. In a post on social media, Bob Vylan said: 'We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine.' The band noted that the backlash was 'a distraction from the real story of the atrocities happening in Gaza. 'Whatever sanctions we receive will be the distraction.' The BBC has faced criticism from pro-Palestinian campaigners who accuse the broadcaster of pro-Israel bias in its coverage of the war in Gaza. Last week, the BBC pulled the documentary 'Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,' which featured first-hand accounts from Palestinian medical workers and investigated alleged attacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities in the enclave. The broadcaster said that the decision was made because the film 'risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC.'
Al Arabiya
16 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Excitement mounts as the Oasis reunion tour prepares to kick off in Cardiff
Oasis is due to take the stage in Cardiff, Wales, on Friday, kicking off a hotly and somewhat anxiously anticipated reunion tour. The return of the Britpop-era rockers after a 16-year hiatus is a major moment for fans. Will it be a storming success? Definitely maybe. Predictions are tricky when it comes to Noel and Liam Gallagher, the sparring siblings who give Oasis its charisma and its volatile chemistry. 'That's one of the attractions about Oasis–they bring this element of risk,' said author and music journalist John Aizlewood. He said the alternative aura that they have cultivated with the age-old pop story of fractious brothers is part of the band's appeal. Unless the brothers' combustible relationship derails proceedings, two nights at Cardiff's 70,000-capacity Principality Stadium on Friday and Saturday raise the curtain on a 19-date Live 25 tour in the UK and Ireland. Then come stops in North America, South America, Asia, and Australia, ending in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 23. Founded in the working-class streets of Manchester in 1991, Oasis released its debut album 'Definitely Maybe' in 1994 and became one of the dominant British acts of the 1990s, releasing eight UK No. 1 albums and producing hits including 'Wonderwall,' 'Champagne Supernova,' 'Roll With It,' and 'Don't Look Back in Anger.' The band's sound was fueled by singalong rock choruses and the combustible chemistry between guitarist-songwriter Noel Gallagher–a Beatles and glam rock-loving musician with a knack for memorable tunes–and younger brother Liam, a frontman of compelling swagger and style. Then and since, the brothers have often traded barbs–onstage, in the studio, and in interviews. Liam once called Noel 'tofu boy,' while Noel branded his brother 'the angriest man you'll ever meet. He's like a man with a fork in a world of soup.' Oasis finally split in 2009, with Noel Gallagher quitting the band after a backstage dustup with Liam at a festival near Paris. The Gallagher brothers, now aged 58 and 52, haven't performed together since, though both regularly play Oasis songs at their solo gigs. They long resisted pressure to reunite, even with the promise of a multimillion-dollar payday–though Liam sounded more open to the idea. The singer told the Associated Press in 2019 that 'Noel thinks I'm desperate to get the band back together for money. But I didn't join the band to make money. I joined the band to have fun and to see the world.' Now they have agreed on a tour that will see them joined–if reports are right–by former Oasis members Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs and Gem Archer on guitars, bassist Andy Bell, and drummer Joey Waronker. The announcement of the UK tour in August sparked a ticket-buying frenzy, complete with error messages, hours-long online queues, dashed hopes, and anger at prices that surged at the last minute. Some fans who waited online for hours at the Ticketmaster site complained that they ended up paying 355 pounds ($485) for regular standing tickets instead of the expected 148 pounds ($202). The ticketing troubles sparked questions in Britain's Parliament, where Arts Minister Chris Bryant criticized practices that see fans of live events blindsided by price hikes. Britain's competition regulator has since threatened Ticketmaster–which sold some 900,000 Oasis tickets–with legal action. Tickets for the UK shows sold out in hours, with some soon offered on resale websites for as much as 6,000 pounds ($7,800). That suggests major pent-up demand both from the original fans–a male-dominated cohort now well into middle age–and from a younger generation. No plans have been announced for Oasis to record any new music, and the tour is being presented as a one-off. Aizlewood said it's an opportunity for Oasis to tend the legacy of the band and remind people of the power of the Oasis brand. 'There should be a sense of huge joy and life affirmation about these shows. And I think if they can just play it right, then that can be a massive burnishing of their legacy,' he said. '(There is) this enduring love for Oasis–and love means money.'
